Bottom brace and folding pile hammer leads construction



p 1961 w. F. LARSEN ET AL 2,998,856

BOTTOM BRACE AND FOLDING FILE HAMMER LEADS CONSTRUCTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 14, 1959 QTTOFPNEY Sept. 5, 1961 w. F. LARSEN HAL 2,998,856

BOTTOM BRACE AND FOLDING PILE HAMMER LEADS CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 14, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 QQ 8 Q \M 56 23a i Sept. 5, 1961 w. F; LARSEN ETAL 2,998,856

BOTTOM BRACE AND FOLDING PILE HAMMER LEADS CONSTRUCTION I 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 14, 1959 INVENTORS LARSEZN FREDERICK QT ORNEY' Sept. 5, 1961 w. F. LARSEN ET AL 2,998,856

BOTTOM BRACE AND FOLDING PILE HAMMER LEADS CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 14, 1959 6 SheetsSheet 4 INVENTORS F. LRRS EN FREDERICK QT OIPNEY Sept. 5, 1961 w. F. LARSEN ET AL 2,998,856

BOTTOM 'BRACE AND FOLDING PILE HAMMER LEADS CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 14, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 mmzwaxs MAR E L'QRSEN I n FRED'EIEEI'CK Sept. 5, 1961 'w. F. LARSEN ETAL 2,998,856

BOTTOM BRACE AND FOLDING PILE HAMMER LEADS CONSTRUCTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 14, 1959 m .mmK

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United States Patent O 2,998,856 BO'ITOM BRACE AND FOLDING PILE HAMMER LEADS CONSTRUCTION Waldemar F. Larsen, Dover, and Leonard L. Frederick,

Whippany, N.J., assignors to McKiernan-Terry Corporation, Harrison, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 839,858 4 Claims.- (Cl. 175-154) The invention herein disclosed relates to leads for pile hammers and the objects of the invention primarily are to provide a power operated bottom brace for shifting the lead frame and securing it in position for fore and aft and side to side batter and which will permit the boom tip to slide on the leads so that the leads can be collapsed.

Special objects of the invention are to provide a bottom brace of this character of light but rugged, strong construction, having self-contained power for swinging the leads and adapted to be operated to quickly place and secure the leads at the desired angle of inclination.

Other desirable objects accomplished by the invention and the novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts through which the purposes of the invention are accomplished are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification illustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure however may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation showing the bottom brace of this invention applied to a railroad crane and in use for side batter pile driving.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the same showing'the lead frame held in vertical position and withbroken lines indicating the lead frame in collapsed relation beneath the boom of the crane.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic and part sectional plan view as taken on substantially the plane of line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. .4 is a broken sectional detail as on substantially the plane of line 44 of FIG. 3 showing the telescopic locking means for securing the brace in adjusted relation.

FIG. 5 is a broken plan view illustrating a modified form of the invention in which the brace is made up with a single beam instead of the parallel beams first shown.

FIG. 6 is a broken side elevation of the outer end of the beam.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view illustrating the swivel connection between the boom tip and the upper end of the lead frame.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view illustrating diagrammatically how the rig may be folded.

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation showing how the rig can be collapsed on a crane having only two hoisting drums. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a railroad crane having a boom 10 pivoted at the bottom at 11 to the cab or rotating base 12 of the machine. I

The lead frame is designated '13 and is shown of light truss formation carrying leads or guides 14 at the inside for the pile hammer and outwardly faced channels 15 at the outside for engagement over rollers 16 carried by'the guide frame 17 which is swiveled to the top of the boom.

The swivel for side swing of the leads is indicated at 18 in the form of a pivot stud projecting from the back of the guide frame 17 into a bearing 19 in the boom hook frame 20, the latter having, as shown in FIG. 2, rearwardly projected hooks 21 pivotally engaged over the boom end pin 22.

Patented Sept. 5, 19.61

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This construction enables the leads to be swung forward and back from the vertical position, FIG. 2, and to be swung laterally from side to side as in FIG. 1.

The bottom brace is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 as made up of a pair of longitudinally extensible substantially parallel beams 23 pivoted at their inner ends at 24 to a base plate 25 attached to the cab or body portion of the crane and pivoted at their outer ends at 26 to a spacer or spreader bar 27 swiveled at 28 to the back portion of the lower end of the lead frame.

. Parallel cross bars 29, 30 pivotally connected at their ends with the beams 23 maintain the intermediate portions of the beams in parallel relation. I

The parallelogram so formed enables the brace to keep the lead frameparallel with the base line 25, FIG. 3, and hence in line with piling being driven, in all positions of adjustment. The power, to swing the brace and thus the leads to which it is connected, from side to side, is provided in the firstexample here by a hydraulic cylinder 31' pivoted at the back end at 32 to the base plate 25, at one side of the center line 33 of the brace and containing a piston having a rod 34 pivoted at 35 to the first cross bar 29 at the opposite side of the beam center, thus to accomplish lateral swinging movement of the beams in one direction by expansive action and movement in the opposite direction by contractive action.

While the hydraulic motor described may be relied on to hold the brace in position, at least temporarily, special locking means are provided in the illustration in the form of collapsible and extensible telescopic angle braces 36 and 37, FIG. 3, extending diagonally and pivotally connected at their opposite ends at 38 with the respective beams.

The tubular sections of these diagonal connections are in oversliding engagement and have a series of holes 39 arranged to coincide for reception of locking pins or bolts 40, FIG. 4.

When adjustments are being effected the pins orbolts '40 are withdrawn and the diagonal locking braces thus free for extensive or contracting movements. 'f

, When desired adjustment is eflected one or moreof the locking pins or bolts can be dropped into position whereupon these telescopic connections will rigidly lock the parallelogram brace with the hammer leads in de; sired angled relation. V

FIGS 5 and 6 show how the bottom brace may be in the form of a single longitudinally extensible beam 41 swung from side to side by a power cylinder and piston 42 diagonally connected therewith at one side and locked in place by a telescopic angle brace 43 pivotally connected with the op'positeside. i 1

In this case, like the first, the beam' is pivotally con; nected with a base plate 44 at 45 and the power unit'i's pivotally connected with this same base plate at 46 and with the beam at 47. 1

The locking brace 43, in this instance, is pivotally connected at 48 with the same base plateand'pivotally connected with the beam at 49. A knuckle bracket 50 on a vertical pivot 51 at the end of the beam carries a horizontal pivot 52 for the lower end of the lead frame 13.

The broken lines in 'FIG. 5 show how the brace can swing to the side and keep the leads in the parallel rela- "tion, lined up with the piling and this view also shows how the pivoted bracket 50 carrying the swivel for the lower end of the leads can be locked in this parallel relation by dropping a pin 53 into registering holes 54 in the bracket and beam end.

In both forms of the invention illustrated there is provision for hoisting and pulling the leads frame up into collapsed position beneath the boom of the crane as indicated in broken lines in FIG. 2.

In the first form a sheave or the like 55 is mounted at the lower inner corner of the lead frame for use of a rope '56 to pull the frame up and inward into position beneath the boom, the rollers 16 in the guide frame at the tip of the boom enabling these collapsing movements.

In the single boom form of the invention, FIGS. and 6, a hoisting lug 57 is provided on the swivel fitting 52 by which the outer end of the brace can be lifted and pulled into position beneath the boom of the crane.

Both forms provide a self-powered bottom brace which can be used to swing the leads from side to side for batter piling and in and out, toward and away from the boom, and in which the leads can slide vertically in the guide for the upper end, this guide incorporating the forwardly directed horizontal swivel permitting the side to side movement and hanging on the laterally extending boom end pin permitting the .in and out lead swinging movement.

Adjustments can be efiected with all necessary accuracy and certainty and the leads be positively secured in the positions of adjustment, eliminating need for a moonbeam bar or other accessory equipment such as heretofore necessary.

The tubular beam or beams forming the bottom brace provide a light, strong,.readily extensible structure but these beams or spars may be in other forms such as girders, lattice work or the like.

While generally practical to use hydraulic motors such as illustrated it will be realized that pneumatic, electric or other forms of motors may be used for swinging the brace. The claims are to be construed in the light of these and other such possible changes.

FIG. 2 shows how the bottom brace may be .made up with a telescopic section 23:: which can be secured in the extended relation by a lock pin 23b.

Upon withdrawing pin 23b, section 23a may slide within the main section 23 and must he slid all the way in before the collapsing operation starts.

To shorten the bottom brace it is only necessary to remove pins 23b and raise the crane boom 10. Then the weight of the lead body 13 will cause sections 23a to slide within section 23, the condition indicated in broken lines in FIG. 8.

To lengthen the bottom brace crane boom 10 is lowered until lead body 13 rests on the ground. Then by moving the crane 12 backward away from the lead body the bottom brace sections 23 and 23a will slide apart until the holes in the two pieces line up and the pins 23b can be dropped in place. The crane boom can then be raised to bring the lead body into operating position, vertical or batter.

'FIG. 2 shows a third drum sheave line 56 for bringing the bottom of the lead body into and under the crane boom. This is practical for a crane having three hoisting drums.

For a crane with only two hoisting drums the rig may be collapsed as shown in FIG. 9 by providing a sling 56a of two ropes hooked to eyes as shown at the lower end of the lead body.

In both the roller and the slide forms of guide -17 shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 the lead frame 13 is free to slide up and down through the guide to elfect the full collapsing movement of the lead frame into substantially parallel position beneath the boom.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a crane boom, a leads guide swiveled on the head of the boom for universal Swinging movement forward away from and back towardthe boom and laterally away from the opposite sides of the boom and a leads frame guided for vertical movement up and down through said guide, of a longitudinally extensible bottom brace for holding the lower end of the leads frame out from the boom and for swinging said leads frame laterally to opposite sides of the boom, said extensible bottom brace having an inner end portion pivotally supported at the lower end of the boom for lateral swinging movement of the brace and an extensibly related outer end portion swiveled to the lower end of the leads frame, a longitudinally extensible and contractible motor diagonally related to the longitudinal axis of said brace, said motor having its inner end pivotally supported at the lower end of the boom forlateral swinging movement and its outer end pivotally connected with the inner end portion of the brace to impart lateral swinging movement to the brace and connected leads frame to one side on extension of the motor and swinging movement of the brace and connected leads frame laterally to the opposite side of the boom on contraction of the motor and variably adjustable means for positively securing the bottom brace in the laterally shifted positions to which it may be swung by said motor.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said means for secruing the bottom brace comprises a longitudinally extensible diagonal brace diagonally disposed in respect to the longitudinal axis of said bottom brace, pivotally supported at one end and connected with the bottom brace at the opposite end so that said diagonal brace will be extended to different lengths in accordance with the laterally shifted position of the bottom brace and a lock for securing said diagonal brace in the position to which it may be extended.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which the inner and outer relatively extensible end portions of said bottom brace are made up of parallel extensible beams having extensibly related inner and outer end portions connected in parallel relation by pivotedcross bars at opposite ends and intermediate points of said parallel beams and in which said motor is located between the inner end portions of said parallel beams and connected with the inner end portion of the brace by being connected with one of said cross bars which is connected with the inner end portions of said extensible beams and in which the means for securing the bottom brace in side battering position is a longitudinally extensible diagonal brace diagonally disposed between the parallel beams and connected at opposite ends with the respective beams.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said extensible bottom brace comprises a single beam, with said angularly related motor located at one side of the same and the means for securing said bottom brace is in theform of a longitudinally extensible diagonally disposed brace connected with and located at the opposite side of said beam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

